Valve-operating mechanism



F. E. LAMPLOUGH AND H. J. S. STOBART.

VALVE OPERATING MECHANESM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT 8. 1919.

1,369,677. Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

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Attorney F. E. LAMPLOUGH AND H. J. S. STOBART VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT a. 1919.

1,369,677. Patented Feb. 22,1921.

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UNiriEo sari FRANCIS EVERARD'LAMPLO'UGH Ann HENRY JOHN scorn ENGLAND.

VALVE-OPERATING MEonANIsM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 22 1921 Application filed September 8, 1919. Serial No. 322,597. 1

T all'w homitmay Be it known .thatwe, FRANCIS: EVERARD LA PLOUGH, M. A., andHn Y'J 01 m Soo'rr STOBART, residing at Lighthouse WVorks, Sme'thwick, in the county of Stafford, England, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented certain new and fuseful-Im rovements Relating to Valve-Oper-ating echanism, of which the following 1s a specification.

In jconnect1on with lighthouses, lightbuoys and the like, gas valves. under the control of solar radiations are sometimesused.

The object .ofthe present invention is to construct an improved valve of this kind.

According to the present invention; we employ a pair of chambers containing satu. rated vapor in contact'with its liquid, and utilize for producing the desired movements the difference of pressure which arisesw-hen as a result of a temperature difference the mass of saturated vapor is increased in one chamber and diminished in the other.

The accompanying drawings at Figures 1 and 2 illustrate diagrammatically two vmeans for carrying the invention into effect.

Fig. 3 illustrates an arrangement of check valve.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a pair of closed glass chambers 60,0. connected by a tube 6 are carried on a cradle c pivoted at 0. One of the chambers, e. 9., a, is plain or silvered or protected from radiation by a shield, and the other, a, blackened externally, so that when exposed to solar radiations an increase of temperature is produced in the blackened chamber. The tube and lower portion of each chamber is filled withmercury, and a quantity of volatile liquid- (such as ether) is placed on the mercury in each chamber. The region in each chamber abdve the surface of the liquid is occupied by the vapor of the liquid, the air originally present having been evacuated as completely as the working conditions of the apparatus may require. Normally in darkness the two liquid surfaces are at the same level. Vhen a temperature difference due to solar radiations is set up between the chambers the quantity of vapor increases by evaporation in one chamber and decreases by condensa tion in the other until the excess of vapor pressure corresponding to the excess oftemperature is balanced by the head of the extra amount of mercury which has been forced from one chamber into the other.

The equilibrium of the system .is therefore STOBART, or SMETI-IWICK? altered with the result that the cradle c tilts, ThlS movement. is caused to close the gas valve d. Equalization of the temperature causes the original equal condition of vapor pressure to be restored, and the return of thecradle 0 opens the valve d. i

In the arrangement shown the cradle c transmits motion through .a strut fto a lever g. In Fig. 1 this lever actuates the valve cl through a rod f, and in Fig. 2 the lever is attached directly tothe valve. @Two different forms of valvesareshown as examples. The lever g is supportedfon' a knife edge bearing h, and at the, end opposite the-valve'is acted on byan adjustable springir The valve is Contained in a cham-f I ber j which is closed on one side by a flexible diaphragm G as enters the chamber through an open pipe Z and passes out through apipe m whose upper end is 'controlled by the valve. I The spring 2' serves to assist in the restoring of thcjlever system to its original position when a condition of equal temperature is attained in the bulbs.

When the lever system is tilted by the operation above described this spring is com pressed sufliciently to produce the required restoring force.

Preferably, the upper parts of the bulbs are extendedby short stems n n (Fig. 2) terminating in small spherical bulbs. 0v 0, the bulb 0 and its stem if necessary. being silvered or left transparent whilethe other 0' is blackened. When a considerable temperature difference exists between the two bulbs, the fluid would tend to be forced up into the silvered or transparent bulb a so as completely to fill it. The blackened upper portion consisting of the stem and terminal bulb, however, maintains within it a temperature comparable with that of the black ened bulb a. Consequently if the fluid in a is pressed up into the terminal stem and bulb its vapor pressure increases and balances that Y in the other bulb. The vapor phase inthe less heated bulb Ct therefore never completely disappears. But for this precaution the fluid mightcompletely fill the bulb a and the reluctance to the reformation of the vapor phase would interfere with the resto- Y ration of the original conditions with equalchamber a the former may be fitted with-zacheck valve 9 (Fig. 3) in the form of a float.

When the fluid level in a; descends sufiiciently the valve rests on the outlet from the chainber and closes it.

' Owing to the fact that the relative increase of vapor pressure is muchgreater the higherthe temperature, it may be desirable to have a compensating device which, while allowing the apparatus to be designed so that it is sufliciently sensitive at low:- temperatures, will prevent its being too sensitive at higher temperatures. Such a device may take the form of a bent compound sheet of metal as shown in Fig. 2. This exerts no effect on the cradle 0 at the low temperatures existing during the winter months, but expands when the temperature rises and exerts a force tending to check the turning of cradle on its pivot, thus diminishing the sensitivenessq during the hotter summer-months.

" Instead of a saturatedvapor in contact with its liquid we-may use the equivalent combination of a gas in contact with its above the liquid.

saturated solution. For instance, the apparatus may be partly filled with a saturated solution of ammonia with ammonia gas The valve is applicable to a variety of uses other than those mentioned. For example it may be applied to factory, station and street lighting systems. i

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is '1. In valve operating mechanisms controlled by solar radiations, the combination comprising a pair of chambers adapted to be unequally heated by solar radiations, a passage connecting the lower ends of said chambers, mercury contained in said passage and the lower parts of the chambers, each chamber containing saturated vapor in contact with its liquid which is supported on the surface of the mercury, a pivoted support for the chambers, a gas controlling valve, and means for imparting movement to the valve with the movement of the chambers and their support, substantially as described.

2. In valve operating mechanisms controlled by'solar radiations, the combination comprising a pair of inter-communicating chambers adapted to be unequally heated bythe main portion of the chamber, a pivoted support for the chambers, a gas controlling valve, and means for imparting movement to the valve with the movement of the chambers and their support, substantiallyas de-- scribed. a

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to'this specification.

' FRANCIS EVERARD LAMPLOUGl-l.

HENRY JOHN SCOTT STOBART. 

